Customer Spotlight - Nicole Maltese & Steven Wallace
Our May Customer Spotlight belongs to Steven and his wife Nicole and their passionate, corvette loving family son Nicolas and Marie-M. Nicole, Steven, and family are the owners of both a 2013 60th Anniversary C6 Convertible and a Custom Built 2020 C8 with a Rear Engine. Nicole and Steven have been Customers for 3 years and has found all their Corvette care and needs can be trusted to CorvetteStoreOnline.com.
Nicole & Steven have a long lineage of Corvette history that started with Steven purchasing a 1974 Corvette in 1983 just after graduating college. As we’ve heard countless times from owners, Steven felt immense regret after selling his Corvette and knew he wanted to purchase another at some point down the line. On the other hand, Nicole owned a 1987 Corvette that she purchased and drove from Minnesota to New York where it was unfortunately stolen... but knew she had to get back behind the wheel eventually!
After meeting and getting married the couple had gone years without sitting behind the wheel of a Corvette, nonetheless owning one! Close family friends Karen & John Pomarico, who are fellow Corvette enthusiasts and owners of a 2005 C6, are those responsible for igniting the spark that would set Nicole and Steve down the irreversible Corvette path. Out of the blue at an outing, John turned to Nicole and Steve to casually ask: “Why don’t you buy one and we can be a Corvette family?”
Later that evening while sitting on the couch contemplating the idea John had just dropped upon them, Steven asked Nicole what her ideal Corvette model and color might be. On a whim, but without missing a beat, Nicole told Steven she had her mind set on a white Convertible. As circumstance would have it the couple was only able to find one white convertible that was available, located a considerable distance away in Tappahannock, Virginia. Steven and Nicole knew what had to be done. Accompanied by their friends John & Karen the four hopped in their car, booked a hotel, and headed towards the dealership in Tappahannock.
After a few GPS mishaps and a late drive in, the family did eventually make it to the dealership where they purchased their 2013 Corvette and drove it home directly off the lot. The rest as they say, is history, and the friends have been what they now refer to as “Corvette Brothers” ever since.
Shortly thereafter Covid struck and turned the auto industry upside down. Steven would watch the list monthly seeing Corvettes all around them be delivered to their new owners… with fate seemingly skipping over them day after day. Discouraged, the couple cut a deal - if they could get their 2020 by December they would stick with it, but if they were pushed into 2021 they would simply have to give up the prospect of being first year owners. As luck would have it, finally, after months of waiting their 2020 Corvette was delivered on December 8th. It goes without saying, but Nicole and Steven are glad they stuck it out and waited.
To put it in their own words, Nicole and Steven simply love both their cars. “Our Vette is a true wow factor from G-force, to look and feel and is awesome from start to finish, especially our interior! The 2013 Convertible is so much fun to drive in the summer with the top down. The 2020 is just an awesome car in every way from top to bottom! The ride, the response, the looks, it’s got it all and then some.”
It’s hard to disagree with an endorsement like that… and even more difficult when so many customers echo the same sentiments!
Not only do Nicole and Steven love driving their Corvettes – they love accessorizing them! “We truly love all the items online and have purchased a lot. We own everything from the car covers, to clothing and accessories but one of my personal favorites has been the suitcase (carry on) to match our car. As a Corvette lover we wear it, we carry it and we accessorize in it! In our big and small purchases we have not regretted anything we have purchased from the online store.”
In addition to their car covers, apparel, and luggage Nicole and Steven have also made some custom upgrades to their Corvettes. The couple has replaced the Z51 rear wing on their 2020 with a higher after market wing supplied and installed by their dealer. On their 2013, they’ve added a WindRestrictor with a custom Corvette 60th Anniversary logo on it, in addition to 60th Anniversary logos down the sides, 60th Anniversary branded custom floor mats, and aluminum billets in the side fender openings to cap it off. If you couldn’t tell, these additions have made for two bad to the bone rides!
Unfortunately, due to Covid and life changes Nicole and Steven haven’t been able to travel to many car shows or some of the destinations they’ve long dreamed of but hope to do so in the future. Despite this, they still have managed to add an awesome accolade to their resume. In 2018 the couple was chosen to be one of 165 Corvettes arranged into an American Flag at a Corvette show at the Carlisle Fairgrounds.
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Nicole, Steven, and family - thank you for sharing your wonderful Corvette story! Stories like these are what Corvette ownership is all about... it's not necessarily about the car, it's about the total experience. We look forward to hearing more from you in the future!
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